Fuel

2012 Chevrolet Sonic With 1.4L Turbo Gets 40 MPG on Highway

General Motors employee Peggy Burnside inspects a 2012 Chevrolet Sonic as it rolls off the assembly line at the GM Orion Assembly Plant Wednesday, September 14, 2011 in Lake Orion, Michigan.

DETROIT – General Motors has provided updates on its new 2012-MY Chevrolet Sonic recently, but the most recent news gives fuel-economy numbers for this new subcompact. The Sonic will get 40 mpg on highway and 29 mpg city. In terms of performance, the 1.4L turbo Sonic can reach 60 mph in 8.2 seconds, according to the automaker.

The 1.4L Ecotec turbocharged engine is SAE-certified at 138 horsepower and 148 lb.-ft. of torque between 2,500 and 4,900 rpm. Chevrolet said it’s the same engine used in the Cruze, just in a smaller package.

In terms of performance, the 1.4L turbo Sonic can reach 60 mph in 8.2 seconds, according to the automaker.

The 1.4L’s turbocharger is integrated within the exhaust manifold, which reduces engine weight. A reinforced crankshaft and stronger connecting rods deliver additional strength to support the engine’s pressurized power and torque over a wide rpm band, Chevrolet said.

Voters in Missouri, Utah, and Washington rejected state ballot measures on Tuesday that would have added new taxes on fuel or energy use by fleet vehicles, while California voters elected to keep increased fuel taxes in place to fund the state's infrastructure.

The national average gasoline price has fallen to a six-month low at $2.76 for a gallon of unleaded fuel on the same day the U.S. reimposed sanctions on Iran, which haven't driven prices high as the oil market has remained steady.

The national average gasoline price fell 4 cents to $2.85 per gallon for the week ending Oct. 22, as the price has given way following several weeks of lower demand. The price is where it was a month ago and 39 cents higher than a year ago.

Most states saw lower fuel prices this week, as the nation's average gasoline price fell 2 cents to $2.89 per gallon for the week ending Oct. 15. A handful of states on the west coast and southeast saw higher prices due to fuel disruptions, according to AAA.

Great Lakes states such as Ohio and Indiana saw the highest weekly gasoline price increases, as the national price increased 3 cents to $2.91. Prices increased in 43 states with the national price average increasing 6 cents from a month ago and 41 cents from a year ago, according to AAA.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Ford Motor Co. came out against President Trump's bid to relax strict fuel economy standards approved during the Obama administration, but said the initial rules didn't consider increasingly popular utility sales and continuing lower fuel prices.

The national average price of regular unleaded remained at $2.85 per gallon for the week ending Sept. 24, even as drivers in 32 states saw lower or stable prices. The price level is 1 cent higher than a month ago and 27 cents above a year ago, according to AAA.